Episode #1007

Mandell, Haiku, Barbie

Friday, February 13, 2009

Hold the chocolates and roses. Eleni Mandell's love songs skew way more bitter than sweet. Listeners share their haiku on the failing economy. And after decades of drastic haircuts and career changes, the Barbie doll turns fifty.

Over the years she's bounced from jazz, to country, to torchy pop, to hard-edged rock n'roll. In every genre, she's a master at crafting perfect break-up anthems and not-so-lovey-dovey love songs. Kurt talks with Mandell about her new record, Artificial Fire. And Mandell and her band ...

A few weeks ago we asked listeners to submit original haiku inspired by the state of the economy. Dozens poured in: our own unscientific proof that the financial crisis is a boon for creativity. Here are some of our favorites.

What’s it like to practice the same line of work as your spouse? Novelist Naeem Murr wrote about that marriage for the Poetry Foundation. We brought him together with his wife, Averill Curdy, for both sides of the story. Produced by Studio 360's